12 Anfield History

Anfield

Anfield Forever!

Concluding the story of Liverpool FC's famous home: from the Shanks era to an exciting new future!

The Big Bang

Bill Shankly had big plans for Liverpool FC following his appointment as manager in 1959 but the first thing on his 'to-do' list was the decor. The Scot had described Anfield as “the biggest toilet in Liverpool” having seen that the conveniences didn’t flush and there was no running water in the changing-rooms. The ground had fallen into a sorry state of disrepair and Shanks requested that a spring clean be carried out with weeding taking place on the crumbling terraces and a new lick of paint being applied to the shabby woodwork. On the pitch he set about injecting a fresh new look too and promotion back to Division One was achieved in 1962 with Kopites leading the way in the changing terrace culture embracing songs and chants laced with good humour.



Redevlopment

Merseybeat

Following Liverpool FC's long-awaited return to the top-flight, the Club's directors gave the green light to an upgrade to facilities with the ground having barely changed in 35 years, aside from the introduction of floodlights in 1957. With Shankly driving the new ambition, the board backed their manager both on and off the pitch. Funds were made available to strengthen the team and £350,000 was set aside to replace the Kemlyn Road's old stand and terraced paddock with a modern cantilever construction. Work started at the end of the 1962/63 campaign, and a further two years later a new terrace was also erected at the Anfield Road end. LFC’s first season back in Division One resulted in Anfield's highest average attendance for more than a decade. With supporters singing along to their Merseybeat favourites, the Kop became the focus of a special episode of the BBC news magazine Panorama as the Reds clinched the league title in 1964. These were halcyon days at Anfield as Shankly's side were regularly in the hunt for trophies both on the domestic front and in Europe. Many people believe that the atmosphere at the 1965 European Cup semi-final against Inter Milan was the best Anfield has witnessed as the Italian aces were beaten 3-1 just days after Liverpool FC had won the FA Cup for the first time.



Europe

That 70s Show

The changing face of Anfield continued into the 1970s, as did the on-field success. Further improvements to the ground saw a £600,000 refurbishment of the Main Stand: its height was increased and the old roof replaced by a more modern-looking cover. It was officially opened by the Duke of Kent in March 1973, barely a month before Anfield celebrated another league title. A first European trophy, the UEFA Cup, followed soon afterwards. A new floodlighting system added to the glamour of the regular Euro nights, illuminating many memorable matches as another UEFA Cup was secured in 1976 followed by back-to-back European Cups in 1977 and 1978.



Triumph and tragedy

Triumph and tragedy

As Liverpool FC's domination at home and abroad continued, improvements to Anfield were made to help fans eager to watch their all-conquering heroes in more comfort. The Paddock and Anfield Road were converted to seats from standing terracing during the early 1980s. On the field, Bob Paisley's men kept their side of the bargain with another European Cup in 1981 and league titles in 1980, 82 and 83 as well as the first of four consecutive League Cup victories in 1981. His successes were maintained by his successor Joe Fagan, whose first season in charge, 1983/84, saw a treble of league, League Cup and European Cup. Kenny Dalglish's first season as player-manager, 1985/86, brought the Club's first double of league and FA Cup. Further titles followed in 1988 and 1990 but by the latter of those triumphs, the Club had been impacted by the terrible tragedy at Hillsborough when 96 supporters never returned from the FA Cup semi-final against Nottingham Forest. It was the worst sporting tragedy in British history and as the city entered a period of mourning, Anfield became a shrine to those we lost. In the light of the disaster, steps were taken to make Anfield a safer place with railings at the front of the Kop taken away and a reduction in its capacity.



Spion Kop consctruction

All change

In 1992, to commemorate the Club’s first 100 years, an upper tier was added to the Kemlyn Road – which included the Club's first executive boxes – and the renamed Centenary Stand was officially opened by UEFA president Lennart Johannson. In the light of Hillsborough, the recommendations of the Taylor Report on spectator safety meant the Spion Kop would also become all-seater. Fans had stood on the famous terrace since 1906 but did so for one last time when the Reds took on Norwich City in the final home game of the 1993/94 season. The new structure went up throughout the 94/95 campaign and once completed, it became the largest single-tiered stand in the country and was still as capable of generating a wall of sound. Anfield was also chosen as a host venue for Euro 96, while further work the following year saw an upper tier added to the Anfield Road, creating an extra 2,500 seats. Another honour for the Club saw the stadium host three England matches between 2001 and 2006 while Wembley was being re-built – the first time Anfield had staged England internationals for 70 years.



regeneration

Brave new world

With a lengthy waiting-list for season-tickets, building a new stadium had been on the agenda for some time. In June 2000 the Club revealed plans for a 60,000-seat stadium on Stanley Park, with the potential to add an extra 10,000. No firm progress was made on the ground issue over the next seven years, although the Reds continued to thrill their huge fanbase with a cup treble in 20001 and an astonishing victory in the 2005 Champions League final against AC Milan in Istanbul to claim their fifth European Cup. In 2007, American businessmen Tom Hicks and George Gillett became the Club's owners and plans were mooted for a new stadium in nearby Stanley Park. With the economic downturn about to kick in, their plans didn't materialise and in 2010 they sold the Club to Boston-based New England Sports Ventures, now known as Fenway Sports Group. Two years later FSG ditched the Stanley Park scheme, and in December 2014 it was announced that building work on the expansion of Anfield was about to begin. The landscape of the ground has been changing on a weekly basis ever since. The huge superstructure behind the Main Stand dominated the skyline throughout season 2015/16. When completed, the overall capacity will rise to around 54,000 and Anfield will be fully-equipped to meet the demands of the modern Liverpool Football Club – here's to the next 125 years!